Pianofokte-action



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL H. SHIRLEY, OF' BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS.

PIANOFORTE-ACTION.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 12,003, dated November 28, 1854; Reissued October 21, 1856, No. 405.

To aZZ whom z' may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL H. SHIRLEY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Pianoforte-Actions, and that the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying' drawings hereinafter re ferred to, forms a full and exact speciication of the same, wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of my said improvements by which my invention may be distinguished from others of a similar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent.

The accompanying drawing which is a side elevation of my improved action represents my improvements.

To so simplify a pianoforte action as to reduce the cost of its construction, to prevent the blocking of the hammer, to avoid the necessity of regulating or readjusting the parts, and at the same time to combine power .with lightness and delicacy of touch, are the objects aimed at and secured by my improvements.

In my improved action the jack commonly used in pianoforte actions is dispensed with and the devices used for lifting the hammer are so arranged and actuated as to keep the weight of the hammer always upon the key lever rendering the hammer sensible to the slightest touch upon the key in whatsoever position it may be when the blow is given.

a a in the drawing represents the key lever. 4

Z) is the hammer and c the hammer arm attached by a pivot to the rail cZ. Near the end of the hammer arm c is fastened by a pivot a short vertical arm e connected to a diagonal arm f turning on a pivot g on the end of the rail (Z or an extension of the same. To the end of the diagonal arm f is secured a small block Zi. with its lower edge beveled olf. i, is the back catch rail turning on a pivot 7s and having secured to the end over the said pivot a butt Z, the upper corners of which are rounded oif. When the key is depressed it will be seen that the corner of the butt Z will strike against the small block Zt and then through the vertical arm e, lift the hammer and give the blow upon the string as .will readily be understood by inspection of the drawing.

The block h is always kept in proper position upon the butt Z to lift the hammer arm by the action of the diagonal arm f which turns on the pivot g as a center and thereby keeps the block ZL. upon same portion of the butt Z ready fo-r a blow, thus in all positions transmitting the weight of the hammer to the butt Z, and consequently to the key lever. As the butt Z is attached to the end of the back catch rail c' the back catch immediately after the blow will be raised and hold the hammer by the action of the block Z1, 'which as it is drawn back after the blow draws against the corner of the but-t Z and as the back catch rail z' turns on a center c it will thus be raised suiiiciently to bring the back catch m in contactwith the hammer.

By the arrangement of the devices hereinbefore described for transmitting the blow from the key lever to the hammer it will be seen that no readjustment of the parts will ever be necessary and as the diagonal arm serves to keep the block ZL always in proper position on the butt Z the weight of the hammer is at all times upon the key lever and the hammer is kept in readiness for a blow in whatever position it may be whether close to the string or away from it. The advantage of this arrangement, in repeating a. note and in trilling or in giving a powerful blow, will readily be apparent :while the possibility of t blocking is etfectually guarded against.

Having thus described my improvements .I sha-ll state my claims as follows- TWhat I claim as my invention and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent isl. Giving the blow to the hammer and keeping it always in readiness for a blow by means of the vertical arm c and diagonal arm f actuated by the butt Z as `herein above described.

2. I also claim so arranging the back catch as to actuate it by the return of the block on the end of the diagonal arm after each blow, as above set forth.

DANIEL H. SHIRLEY.

`Witnesses JOSEPH GAVETT, F. R. LINCOLN.

[FIRST PRINTED 1913.] 

